Unbiased Reviews and Undercover Price Research on Local Services

Few of us look forward enthusiastically to a stay in a hospital. That’s as it should be. Hospital stays are not fun, and stays at even the very best hospitals pose significant risks of infections and other mishaps.

But you’ll be more comfortable entering a hospital if you know that the hospital stay is really necessary, that the hospital was selected carefully, and that you know how to deal effectively with the hospital’s staff. Our ratings of more than 4,800 U.S. acute-care hospitals will help you find that peace of mind. Our ratings provide:

A comparison of hospitals’ death and “adverse outcome” rates for major types of cases.

Doctors’ ratings of hospitals.

Ratings from patients.

Ratings of hospitals on key patient safety measures.

Whatever hospital you choose, you’ll want to get the best care possible. What you get depends in part on how well you are informed about what to expect during your stay. It also depends on how carefully you and your family and friends keep an eye on what the staff is doing. The advice we provide will help you prepare for your stay, play a useful role in your care, and strategies on protecting yourself from poor care.

Hospitals Articles

This section summarizes our hospital ratings and describes other information you can gather yourself. The section “Hospital Ratings Data Details,” listed below, provides further discussion of these data and its strengths and weaknesses.

Choosing a good hospital can be a life and death decision, as our ratings of hospitals for inpatient care reveal. Preventable medical errors kill at least 200,000 patients each year in the U.S., making it the third leading cause of death.

Before a hospitalization, learn as much about your case as time allows to answer two critical questions: what is wrong with you and what is the best approach to treatment? What you learn will help you play an active role in monitoring your care.

Another indicator of hospital quality is by the Magnet Recognition Program, which was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center to identify healthcare organizations that provide the best in nursing care.